Systems and Methods for Quality of Service Monitoring Activated by Policy Control Function

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/809,827, filed on Jun. 29, 2022, and titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OF SERVICE MONITORING ACTIVATED BY POLICY CONTROL FUNCTION” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

To satisfy the needs and demands of users of mobile communication devices, providers of wireless communication services continue to improve and expand available services and networks used to deliver such services. One aspect of such improvements includes the development of wireless access networks and options to utilize such wireless access networks. For example, a wireless access network may need to manage a large number of communication sessions. Maintaining a large number of communication sessions may pose various challenges.

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements.

Wireless network, such as Fourth Generation (4G) wireless networks, Fifth Generation (5G) wireless networks, and/or other types of wireless networks, continue to add new users and manage an increasing number of communication sessions. A communication session, associated with a user equipment (UE) device attached to a 4G or 5G core network via a Radio Access Network (RAN), may provide Internet Protocol (IP) and/or other kind of connectivity between the UE device and an application server in a network, another UE device, and/or another type of device.

A 5G core network may implement different types of services, such as, for example, an enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) service for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone calls and/or data sessions for accessing Internet websites; a massive Internet of Things (IoT) service for IoT devices; an Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) service for devices such as medical monitoring devices, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, etc.; and/or other types of wireless communication services.

Different services may have different Quality of Service (QOS) requirements. A core network may define QoS monitoring to measure one or more QoS parameters for a communication session in real-time. For example, a Policy Control Function (PCF) may activate a QoS monitoring policy on a data flow for a communication session, in response to a request from an Application Function (AF) or a Network Exposure Function (NEF). The PCF may provide the QoS monitoring policy to a Session Management Function (SMF). In response, the SMF may send a QoS monitoring request to a User Plane Function (UPF) associated with the communication session. The UPF may obtain data for QoS parameters and report the obtained data to the SMF based on a frequency specified by QoS monitoring request. The SMF may then in turn report the QoS monitoring results to the PCF based on a reporting frequency specified by the QoS monitoring policy and/or a configuration associated with the PCF.

Reporting QoS monitoring data may result in a significant number of signaling messages being sent in the network. In situations where immediate action in response to a QoS monitoring report is not needed, a mechanism to reduce signaling in the network may improve the efficiency of the network. In addition, a PCF may need to react to information included in a QoS monitoring report. For example, the PCF may need to adjust a QoS class for a communication session in response to information included in a received QoS monitoring report. In such situations, a mechanism to initiate QoS monitoring, which is independent of QoS monitoring triggered by requests from an AF or an NEF, may be need for efficient functioning of the core network.

Implementations described herein relate to systems and methods for QoS monitoring triggered by a PCF and batch reporting of QOS monitoring reports. For example, a PCF in a 5G core network may be configured to determine that QoS monitoring is to be performed for a communication session, generate a QoS monitoring policy for the communication session in response, and provide the QoS monitoring policy to an SMF associated with the communication session. The QoS monitoring policy may instruct the SMF to measure values for at least one of an uplink delay (also referred to as latency), a downlink delay, a round-trip delay, a packet loss rate, a jitter rate, a throughput rate, and/or another QoS parameter associated with the communication session. The PCF may be further configured to receive a QoS monitoring report for the communication session from the SMF and perform an action based on the received QoS monitoring report.

The action may include sending the received QoS monitoring report to an AF and/or NEF. Additionally, or alternatively, the action may include applying a policy to the SMF based on the received QoS monitoring report, such as, for example, changing a QoS class for the communication session, instructing the SMF to collect additional QoS information relating to the communication session, instructing the SMF to transfer the communication session to a particular UPF, assigning the communication session to a particular network slice, and/or applying another type of policy to the communication session.

Determining that QoS monitoring is to be performed for the communication session may include at least one of: receiving, from a Charging Function (CHF), a notification indicating that QoS monitoring is to be performed for the communication session; receiving a subscriber profile update indicating that QoS monitoring is to be activated for communication sessions associated with a subscriber; determining that the communication session satisfies a trigger condition for activating QoS monitoring; and/or another type of determination.

Furthermore, the PCF may be configured to collect QoS monitoring reports from SMFs and provide the collected QoS monitoring reports to an AF and/or NEF in a batch report. For example, the PCF may be configured to generate a batch reporting rule that includes a reporting trigger condition, detect that the reporting trigger condition is satisfied, and send the batch report to the AF or NEF, in response to detecting that the reporting trigger condition is satisfied. Detecting the reporting trigger condition may include at least one of detecting that a size of data included in the plurality of QOS monitoring reports has reached a data size threshold, detecting that a particular time period has elapsed, detecting that a particular number of QoS monitoring reports have been received for a particular subscriber, and/or detecting another type of reporting trigger condition has been satisfied.

is a diagram of an exemplary environmentin which the systems and/or methods described herein may be implemented. As shown in, environmentmay include UE devices-A to-N (referred to herein collectively as “UE devices” and individually as “UE device”), base stations-A to-M (referred to herein collectively as “base stations” and individually as “base station”) in RAN, core network, and packet data networks (PDNs)-A to-Y (referred to herein collectively as “PDNs” and individually as “PDN”).

UE devicemay include any device with cellular wireless communication functionality. For example, UE devicemay include a handheld wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a smart phone, a tablet device, etc.); a wearable computer device (e.g., a head-mounted display computer device, a head-mounted camera device, a wristwatch computer device, etc.); a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or another type of portable computer; a desktop computer; a customer premises equipment (CPE) device, such as a set-top box or a digital media player (e.g., Apple TV™, Google Chromecast™, Amazon Fire TV™, etc.), a WiFi access point, a smart television, etc.; a portable gaming system; a global positioning system (GPS) device; a home appliance device; a home monitoring device; and/or any other type of computer device with wireless communication capabilities and a user interface. In some implementations, UE devicemay communicate using machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, such as Machine Type Communication (MTC), and/or another type of M2M communication for IoT applications.

RANmay include base stations. Base stationmay enable UE deviceto communicate with core network. Base stationmay be configured for one or more Radio Access Technology (RAT) types. For example, base stationmay include a 5G New Radio (NR) base station (e.g., a gNodeB) and/or a 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) base station (e.g., an eNodeB). Each base stationmay include devices and/or components to enable cellular wireless communication with UE devices. For example, base stationmay cover a set of base station cells, also referred to as base station sectors. That is, each cell may cover a sector (e.g., a 120° sector, etc.). Base stationinclude a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured to send and receive wireless signals in the direction of the sector and be configured to communicate with UE devicesusing a 5G NR air interface, a 4G LTE air interface, and/or using another type of cellular air interface.

Core networkmay be managed by a provider of cellular wireless communication services and may manage communication sessions of subscribers connecting to core networkvia RAN. For example, core networkmay establish an Internet Protocol (IP) connection between UE devicesand PDN. In some implementations, core networkmay include a 5G core network. In other implementations, core networkmay include a 4G core network (e.g., an evolved packet core (EPC) network).

The components of core networkmay be implemented as dedicated hardware components or as virtualized functions implemented on top of a common shared physical infrastructure using Software Defined Networking (SDN). For example, an SDN controller may implement one or more of the components of core networkusing an adapter implementing a Virtual Network Function (VNF) virtual machine, a CNF container, an event driven serverless architecture interface, and/or another type of SDN component. The common shared physical infrastructure may be implemented using one or more devicesdescribed below with reference toin a cloud computing center associated with core network. Exemplary components of core networkare described below with reference to.

PDNs-A to-Y may each include a PDN connected to core network. A particular PDNmay be associated with a Data Network Name (DNN) in 5G, and/or an Access Point Name (APN) in 4G, and a UE device may request a connection to PDNusing the DNN or APN. PDNmay include, and/or be connected to and enable communication with, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), an autonomous system (AS) on the Internet, an optical network, a cable television network, a satellite network, another wireless network (e.g., a CDMA network, a general packet radio service (GPRS) network, and/or an LTE network), an ad hoc network, a telephone network (e.g., the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or a cellular network), an intranet, or a combination of networks. PDNmay include an application server(shown in PDN-A in). Application servermay provide services for an application running on UE deviceand may establish an application session with UE devicevia an SME in core network.

Althoughshows exemplary components of environment, in other implementations, environmentmay include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional components than depicted in. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of environmentmay perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of environment.

illustrates a systemthat includes exemplary components of core networkin the context of environmentaccording to an implementation described herein in which core networkincludes a 5G core network. As shown in, systemmay include UE device, gNodeB, core network, and PDN.

gNodeB(corresponding to base station) may include devices and components that enable UE deviceto connect to core networkvia RANusing 5G NR RAT. For example, gNodeBmay service one or more cells, with each cell being served by a wireless transceiver with an antenna array configured for mm-wave wireless communication. gNodeBmay communicate with AMFusing an N2 interfaceand communicate with UPFusing an N3 interface.

Core networkmay include an Access and Mobility Function (AMF), a User Plane Function (UPF), an SMF, a UDSF, an Application Function (AF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), a Policy Control Function (PCF), a Charging Function (CHF), a Network Repository Function (NRF), a Network Exposure Function (NEF), a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a 5G Equipment Identity Register (EIR), a Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF), a Short Message Service Function (SMSF), a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), and a Non-3GPP Inter-Working Function (N3IWF).

Whiledepicts a single AMF, UPF, SMF, AF, UDM, PCF, CHF, NRF, NEF, NSSF, AUSF, EIR, NWDAF, SMSF, SEPP, and N3IWFfor illustration purposes, in practice, core networkmay include multiple AMFs, UPFs, SMFs, AFs, UDMs, PCFs, CHFs, NRFs, NEFs, NSSFs, AUSFs, EIRs, NWDAFs, SMSFs, SEPPs, and/or N3IWFs.

AMFmay perform registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful intercepts, Short Message Service (SMS) transport between UE deviceand SMSF, transport of session management messages between UE deviceand SMF, access authentication and authorization, location services management, functionality to support non-3GPP access networks, and/or other types of management processes. AMFmay be accessible by other function nodes via an Namf interface.

UPFmay maintain an anchor point for intra/inter-RAT mobility, maintain an external Packet Data Unit (PDU) point of interconnect to a particular data network (e.g., PDN), perform packet routing and forwarding, perform the user plane part of policy rule enforcement, perform packet inspection, perform lawful intercept, perform traffic usage reporting, perform QoS handling in the user plane, perform uplink traffic verification, perform transport level packet marking, perform downlink packet buffering, and/or perform other types of user plane processes. UPFmay communicate with SMFusing an N4 interfaceand connect to PDNusing an N6 interface.

SMFmay perform session establishment, session modification, and/or session release, perform IP address allocation and management, perform Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) functions, perform selection and control of UPF, configure traffic steering at UPFto guide the traffic to the correct destinations, terminate interfaces toward PCF, perform lawful intercepts, charge data collection, support charging interfaces, control and coordinate charging data collection, terminate session management parts of Non-Access Stratum (NAS) messages, perform downlink data notification, manage roaming functionality, and/or perform other types of control plane processes for managing user plane data. SMFmay be accessible via an Nsmf interface.

AFmay provide services associated with a particular application, such as, for example, an application for influencing traffic routing, an application for accessing NEF, an application for interacting with a policy framework for policy control, and/or other types of applications. AFmay be accessible via an Naf interface, also referred to as an NG5 interface.

UDMmay maintain subscription information for UE devices, manage subscriptions, generate authentication credentials, handle user identification, perform access authorization based on subscription data, perform network function registration management, maintain service and/or session continuity by maintaining assignment of SMFfor ongoing sessions, support SMS delivery, support lawful intercept functionality, and/or perform other processes associated with managing user data. UDMmay be accessible via a Nudm interface.

PCFmay support policies to control network behavior, provide policy rules to control plane functions (e.g., to SMF), access subscription information relevant to policy decisions, perform policy decisions, and/or perform other types of processes associated with policy enforcement. PCFmay be accessible via Npcf interface. PCFmay activate QoS monitoring for a communication session based on a trigger condition and instruct SMFto perform QoS monitoring for the communication session. PCFmay collect QoS monitoring reports from SMFsand send batch reports of the collected QoS monitoring reports to AFand/or NEF. CHFmay perform charging and/or billing functions for core network. For example, CHFmay generate a charging record for UE devicebased on data flow information associated with UE device. CHFmay be accessible via Nchf interface.

NRFmay support a service discovery function and maintain profiles of available network function (NF) instances and their supported services. An NF profile may include, for example, an NF instance identifier (ID), an NF type, a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) ID associated with the NF, network slice IDs associated with the NF, capacity information for the NF, service authorization information for the NF, information identifying supported services associated with the NF, endpoint information for each supported service associated with the NF, and/or other types of NF information. NRFmay be accessible via an Nnrf interface.

NEFmay expose capabilities and events to other NFs, including 3party NFs, AFs, edge computing NFs, and/or other types of NFs. Furthermore, NEFmay secure provisioning of information from external applications to core network, translate information between core networkand devices/networks external to core network, support a Packet Flow Description (PFD) function, and/or perform other types of network exposure functions. NEFmay be accessible via Nnef interface.

NSSFmay select a set of network slice instances to serve a particular UE device, determine network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) or a Single-NSSAI (S-NSSA), determine a particular AMFto serve a particular UE device, and/or perform other types of processing associated with network slice selection or management. NSSFmay be accessible via Nnssf interface.

AUSFmay perform authentication. For example, AUSFmay implement an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) authentication server and may store authentication keys for UE devices. AUSFmay be accessible via Nausf interface. EIRmay authenticate a particular UE devicebased on UE device identity, such as a Permanent Equipment Identifier (PEI). For example, EIRmay check to determine if a PEI has been blacklisted. EIRmay be accessible via Neir interface.

NWDAFmay collect analytics information associated with radio access networkand/or core network. For example, NWDAFmay collect accessibility Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) (e.g., a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection setup success rate, a Radio Access Bearer (RAB) success rate, etc.), retainability KPIs (e.g., a call drop rate, etc.), mobility KPIs (e.g., a handover success rate, etc.), service integrity KPIs (e.g., downlink average throughput, downlink maximum throughput, uplink average throughput, uplink maximum throughput, etc.), utilization KPIs (e.g., resource block utilization rate, average processor load, etc.), availability KPIs (e.g., radio network unavailability rate, etc.), traffic KPIs (e.g., downlink traffic volume, uplink traffic volume, average number of users, maximum number of users, a number of voice bearers, a number of video bearers, etc.), response time KPIs (e.g., latency, packet arrival time, etc.), and/or other types of wireless network KPIs.

SMSFmay perform SMS services for UE devices. SMSFmay be accessible via Nsmsf interface. SEPPmay implement application layer security for all layer information exchanged between two NFs across two different PLMNs. N3IWFmay interconnect to a non-3GPP access device, such as, for example, a WiFi Access Point. N3IWFmay facilitate handovers for UE devicebetween RANand the non-3GPP access device. N3IWFmaybe accessible via Nn3iwf interface.

Althoughshows exemplary components of core network, in other implementations, core networkmay include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional components than depicted in. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of core networkmay perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of core network. For example, core networkmay include additional function nodes not shown in, such as a Unified Data Repository (UDR), an Unstructured Data Storage Network Function (UDSF), a Location Management Function (LMF), a Lawful Intercept Function (LIF), a Binding Session Function (BSF), and/or other types of functions. Furthermore, while particular interfaces have been described with respect to particular function nodes in, additionally, or alternatively, core networkmay include a reference point architecture that includes point-to-point interfaces between particular function nodes.

illustrates example components of a deviceaccording to an implementation described herein. UE device, application server, gNodeB, AMF, UPF, SMF, AF, UDM, PCF, CHF, NRF, NEF, NSSF, AUSF, EIR, NWDAF, SMSF, SEPP, N3IWF, and/or other components of core network, may each include one or more devices. As shown in, devicemay include a bus, a processor, a memory, an input device, an output device, and a communication interface.

Busmay include a path that permits communication among the components of device. Processormay include any type of single-core processor, multi-core processor, microprocessor, latch-based processor, and/or processing logic (or families of processors, microprocessors, and/or processing logics) that interprets and executes instructions. In other embodiments, processormay include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and/or another type of integrated circuit or processing logic.

Memorymay include any type of dynamic storage device that may store information and/or instructions, for execution by processor, and/or any type of non-volatile storage device that may store information for use by processor. For example, memorymay include a random access memory (RAM) or another type of dynamic storage device, a read-only memory (ROM) device or another type of static storage device, a content addressable memory (CAM), a magnetic and/or optical recording memory device and its corresponding drive (e.g., a hard disk drive, optical drive, etc.), and/or a removable form of memory, such as a flash memory.

Input devicemay allow an operator to input information into device. Input devicemay include, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a pen, a microphone, a remote control, an audio capture device, an image and/or video capture device, a touch-screen display, and/or another type of input device. In some embodiments, devicemay be managed remotely and may not include input device. In other words, devicemay be “headless” and may not include a keyboard, for example.

Output devicemay output information to an operator of device. Output devicemay include a display, a printer, a speaker, and/or another type of output device. For example, devicemay include a display, which may include a liquid-crystal display (LCD) for displaying content to the customer. In some embodiments, devicemay be managed remotely and may not include output device. In other words, devicemay be “headless” and may not include a display, for example.

Communication interfacemay include a transceiver that enables deviceto communicate with other devices and/or systems via wireless communications (e.g., radio frequency, infrared, and/or visual optics, etc.), wired communications (e.g., conductive wire, twisted pair cable, coaxial cable, transmission line, fiber optic cable, and/or waveguide, etc.), or a combination of wireless and wired communications. Communication interfacemay include a transmitter that converts baseband signals to RF signals and/or a receiver that converts RF signals to baseband signals. Communication interfacemay be coupled to one or more antennas/antenna arrays for transmitting and receiving RF signals.

Communication interfacemay include a logical component that includes input and/or output ports, input and/or output systems, and/or other input and output components that facilitate the transmission of data to other devices. For example, communication interfacemay include a network interface card (e.g., Ethernet card) for wired communications and/or a wireless network interface (e.g., a WiFi) card for wireless communications. Communication interfacemay also include a universal serial bus (USB) port for communications over a cable, a Bluetooth™ wireless interface, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) interface, a near-field communications (NFC) wireless interface, and/or any other type of interface that converts data from one form to another form.

As will be described in detail below, devicemay perform certain operations relating to activating QoS monitoring and/or batch reporting of QoS monitoring reports. Devicemay perform these operations in response to processorexecuting software instructions contained in a computer-readable medium, such as memory. A computer-readable medium may be defined as a non-transitory memory device. A memory device may be implemented within a single physical memory device or spread across multiple physical memory devices. The software instructions may be read into memoryfrom another computer-readable medium or from another device. The software instructions contained in memorymay cause processorto perform processes described herein. Alternatively, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of, or in combination with, software instructions to implement processes described herein. Thus, implementations described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

Althoughshows exemplary components of device, in other implementations, devicemay include fewer components, different components, additional components, or differently arranged components than depicted in. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of devicemay perform one or more tasks described as being performed by one or more other components of device.

is a diagram illustrating exemplary components of PCF. The components of PCFmay be implemented, for example, via processorexecuting instructions from memory. Alternatively, some or all of the components of PCFmay be implemented via hard-wired circuitry. As shown in, PCFmay include a UDM interface, a CHF interface, an SMF interface, an AF/NEF interface, a QoS monitoring manager, a QoS monitoring criteria database (DB), a QoS policy manager, a QoS policy rules DB, a QoS monitoring reports DB, a batch reporting manager, and a batch reporting rules DB.

UDM interfacemay be configured to communicate with UDM. For example, UDM interfacemay receive a subscriber update from UDMindicating that QoS monitoring is to be used for communication sessions associated with a subscriber. CHF interfacemay be configured to communicate with CHF. For example, CHF interfacemay receive a request from CHFto activate QoS monitoring for a particular communication session.

SMF interfacemay be configured to communicate with SMF. For example, SMF interfacemay receive a request from SMFfor a policy for a communication session, send a QoS monitoring policy to SMF, and/or receive a QoS monitoring report based on the QoS monitoring policy and store the received QoS monitoring report in QoS monitoring reports DB. AF/NEF interfacemay be configured to communicate with AFand/or NEF. For example, AF/NEF interfacemay receive a request to perform QoS monitoring for a communication session from AFand/or NEF. Furthermore, AF/NEF interfacemay send a batch report that includes information from multiple QoS monitoring reports to AFand/or NEF.

QoS monitoring managermay manage QoS monitoring for communication sessions for which PCFhandles policies. As an example, QoS monitoring managermay receive a policy authorization request from AFor from NEF. The request may instruct PCFto monitor a communication session for one or more QoS parameters. As another example, QoS monitoring managermay determine to activate QoS monitoring for a communication session based on a trigger criterion. QoS monitoring criteria DBmay store information relating to trigger criteria for initiating QoS monitoring for a communication session. Exemplary information that may be stored in QoS monitoring criteria DBis described below with reference to. QoS monitoring managermay send a QoS monitoring request to SMFbased the trigger criterion. The QoS monitoring request may identify one or more QoS parameters, for which SMFis to collect values for the communication session, and identify a frequency at which to collect the values.

QoS policy managermay manage QoS policies for communication sessions. For example, QoS policy managermay select an action based on a received QoS monitoring report and perform the selected action. QoS policy rules DBmay store information relating to actions that are to be taken based on information received in a QoS monitoring report.

Exemplary information that may be stored in QoS policy rules DBis described below with reference to. The action to be taken may include reporting the QoS monitoring report to AFor NEF, adding the QoS monitoring report to a batch report to be sent to AFor NEFat a later time, and/or applying a policy to the communication session, such as changing a QoS class for the communication session, instructing the SMF to collect additional QoS information relating to the communication session, instructing the SMF to transfer the communication session to a particular UPF, assigning the communication session to a particular network slice, etc.